Italian Love
by Nals
Summary: *Unofficial Sequel to MBF*  Marlene Stevenson doesn't have a love life and doesn't even plan to due to her views on men. But in a place far from home, she meets a car that will rock her world.
1. Chapter 1

_Alright guys, to keep you guys on your toes, here's a little something to keep you occupied. __**REMEMBER: **__this is the FIRST edition of _Love at First Drive_. This is unedited, on-the-spot writing that I finished in a whole day (yes, I finished all the chapters in roughly 5 hours)._

_I scrapped this outline because it seemed so simple, but I'm not going to keep it from you guys, even if I did make a more dynamic outline(for me, I think it was x3). My fans(what fans? xD) deserve to know what happens next. Although there is a whole other revamped outline(remember, I had to scrap this one!), this should keep you guys in check. ^-^ 3 And yes, these chapters are shorter than usual and some things may be wrong(this was before MBF's full development), so don't flame me. ;3  
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><p><em><strong>Chapter One<strong>_

Marlene cheered on for her friend as he raced through the track at a race at Porto Corsa that Lightning was invited to. At least he gave back her VIP pass; she was able to watch him from a special yet exclusive spot among the spectators. She squeaked in delight as he finished by two feet of his opponent's bumper, and she left the VIP spectators' box to congratulate him. She headed over to the trailer parking, and asked Mack where he was.

"Oh, he's there, crowded by the press," he said. "Just wait; he'll come around."

So she only waited there, chatting with Mack, until her friend came along.

"Congratulations, Dragon!" she said, driving up to him.

He only laughed. "I'm so glad you could watch me, Marlene," he said, smiling at her.

"Well, it's only luck that I had a fairly rich client," she said. "He told me I'd get a fairly large tip if I finished the job early, so yeah, I'm sort of rich now."

They both laughed. "Why don't you come with me for a second," he said, backing away and leading her through the line of trailers.

"Alright; what's your next surprise?" she said, rolling her eyes and following him anyway.

"Marlene, this is Francesco Bernoulli," he said, and a red, white and green formula turned around at the sound of his name.

"Ah, Lightning McQueen," he said solemnly in an Italian accent. "What now? You come here to insult me more?"

"No, no, I was just going to introduce you to my friend, Marlene Stevenson," Lightning said, then turned to Marlene. "Marlene, this is Francisco Bernoulli, the Italian formula racecar."

"Oh," she said. "Hello." She smiled as Francesco turned to her.

But instead of replying, his expression was quite…awed. She turned around, looking in the general direction he was looking at, then turned back, quite puzzled. But as she turned to look at him, he'd moved closer with a flirty smile on his face.

"Hello there," he said gently.

Marlene backed away in disgust. At least Lightning had gone off to tend to the press.

"Don't tell me you're one of those cars who try and flirt to catch a girl then have a tryst?" she said with unveiled disgust.

Francesco was taken aback. "Wha-? No, no, that's not what—"

"It looked like it," she hissed. "I'm sorry; I'm not interested in a car that does such." With that, she drove away.

"Marlena, wait!" The Italian formula drove after her.

She turned on him. "My name is not Marlena," she spat angrily, and she turned away.

"Please wait and listen!" he called after her, but he was blocked by fangirls.

She drove on and on until she found the team. "Hey guys," she said sullenly.

"Marlene, what happened?" Filmore asked.

"Some Italian racecar tried to woo me," she murmured.

"Francesco Bernoulli?" Luigi said.

"Yeah." She looked away. "I'm going home. I'm sure Lightning would want to say hi to Sally," she said, and drove away.

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><p>But she felt herself tingle as she saw his face again behind closed eyes. She shook herself and drove on to the NOTE: <em>Alright, this is the first chapter of the sequel to <em>My Best Friend_. ^-^ I hope you liked it~ 3 Do note that the race at Porto Corsa is NOT a part of the World Grand Prix, or that this chapter has anything to do with the World Grand Prix! D8 This happened after Cars 2, so please spare me~_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter Two**_

That night, Francesco slinked sadly into his room. He'd wanted to see Marlene again, and prove to her that he just wanted to be her friend, maybe more.

_I will find her,_ he said to himself. _I _will_ find her._

That night, his dreams were filled with images of Marlene and him, being happy together, in love. He awoke the next morning with a fierce determination to find her.

At least the racing season was over. He has about a full four months until the next, and that was more than enough time to find her. He was confident he could find her. Somehow.

He called his agent, and told him to search for a Marlene Stevenson on the internet. Meanwhile, he searched on his own, asking if anyone knew of a Marlene Stevenson. But no one knew who she even was or what she looked like. Day after day, there was no news. Time was running out. After two months, his agent called.

"Boss, I've a-found her!" he said.

"Good!" Francesco was overjoyed at the news. "Where is she?"

"She's in a town called Radiator Springs in America, Route 66," he read. "Wait a minute, that's where McQueen lives!"

"Lightning McQueen?" Francesco repeated. "This will be fun. Arrange my flight to America," he said. "Let's pay McQueen a visit."

It took only a few hours to reach America, and he reached Route 66 in no time. It was early afternoon when he reached Radiator Springs.

He told his trailer guy to find somewhere he can stay, and drove into town. There he saw Sally Carrera talking to a customer by the lobby of the Cozy Cone Motel. He drove close to her, and lightly revved his engine.

Sally gasped and turned around. "Francesco!" she gasped.

"_Signorina_ Sally," he greeted, but Sally looked like she would faint.

Just then, Lightning arrived. "Francesco!" he said. "What are you doing here? I thought you were resting in Italy!"

"I came to visit; Italy was getting boring for me," he said.

Lightning only laughed. "The girls over there too boring for you?"

Francesco laughed with him. "Not really, no. I came here to visit and see the whole town."

"Really? How long are you staying?"

"As long as I want," he said. "But I won't cause any trouble."

"Pfft. Alright. Want a tour of the place?" Lightning asked.

"Okay."

As Lightning toured Francesco around the small town, Marlene woke from her nap and headed over to Flo's.

"Afternoon, Flo," she said, yawning.

"What'll it be, hon?" the older car asked.

"I'll have my usual," she replied, smacking her lips lightly.

Just then, Lightning and Francesco passed by Flo's. Francesco's jaw dropped at the sight, and Lightning looked at him, then to his friend.

Her eyes were half-open and smiling slightly, making her look enticing, just like in his dreams. The sun glinted off her dark silver paint, and an orange glow seemed to emanate from where the sun hit her. She was gorgeous.

Her eyes wandered towards Lightning and she smiled at him, but when her gaze drifted to the car beside her friend, she scowled, backing away from view.

Lightning was confused. "I thought all girls liked you?" he asked.

"This one doesn't," Francesco said sadly.

Lightning could feel the remorse from his friend's voice, and instantly knew what Francesco felt. "You love her, don't you?" he murmured.

"Not out loud!" Francesco hissed. He drove to a corner where they could talk in private.

"Alright, spill: what are you really here for?" Lightning questioned.

"I'm here for her, okay?" Francesco sounded frustrated. "I'm here because I want Marlena to be mine. But she didn't understand what a-happened at Porto Corsa!"

"What happened?"

Francesco told Lightning what happened.

"Oh," Lightning mused. "She's just protective of herself. She knew about a few famous cars and what they did to young girls; she's very keen not to go with anyone who tries to woo her at the first meeting."

Francesco was frustrated. "I wish I hadn't done that at the trailer parking," he muttered.

"Don't' worry Francesco; that's what I'm here for. Now listen…" With that, they hatched a plan. Something Marlene can understand. Something Marlene wants to play.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Chapter Three**_

The next day, Marlene went over to Flo's for her usual morning breakfast. As she settled on her usual spot, she heard the twins giggling excitedly.

"What are you two kids smiling about?" she asked good-naturedly.

"Oh, it's nothing, Marlene," Mia said.

"Oh, come on; nothing stays hidden for long, you know," Marlene chided.

"Should we tell her?" Tia asked her sister.

"I guess so," Mia replied.

"We were talking about how gorgeous that new arrival is," Tia blurted out.

Marlene rolled her eyes, smiling. "What, that new Ferrari that rolled in last night?"

"No, that new Italian formula that came yesterday afternoon!" Mia squeaked.

"It hurts even to say his name," Tia squeaked.

"Francesco Bernoulli?" Sally put in, and the twins shrieked.

Marlene shook her head. "What is this about now?"

"He's got those open wheels," Sally sighed.

"Yeah, and that sexy Italian accent," Mia put in, settling on her tires.

"Oh, what I would give for a date with him," Tia sighed alongside her sister.

Marlene couldn't help but stay put. She didn't want to contradict her own feelings, but didn't want to show them, either.

"Oh, and how he revs his engine is sooo hot," Mia squeaked.

Suddenly, the light revving of an engine sent the two squeaking excitedly, and Francesco appeared. He smiled at the twins, wiggling his brows up and down, and they instantly fainted.

Marlene gasped at his arrogance and turned on him. "How can you do that to them? They're only defenseless young girls!"

Francesco looked surprised as he stared at her, and she drove to a farther, more secluded spot at Flo's, away from his good looks, away from his open wheels, away from his alluring gaze that made her melt to the spot.

But she had to be strong.

Francesco was fuming. He hadn't dealt with a woman like this before and was frustrated enough that he'd gone through lengths to see her. But he knew she didn't know that. She didn't have to know that. Not yet.

He sighed, then drove away sadly. The three women watched as he slunk away into his cone to think.

Sally moved closer to the two. "Usually he's wooing someone by now, isn't he?"

"Well, I don't know, Sally," Mia sighed, staring after the racecar.

She nudged them gently. "Don't you think he's suspicious?" she asked. "Didn't you see how he reacted to Marlene's leaving?"

Tia shook herself. "Well, he looked kinda sad."

"But he's never sad!" Sally exclaimed. "I think all this is leading to something I've seen before," she mused.

"What do you think?" Mia chided.

"Love, I think." Sally pursed her lips in concentration. "Stickers looked that way when Marlene left, remember?*"

"Oh, yeah," Mia said, remembering that day. "He looked like he loved her, didn't he?"

"Not like he loves me; he's already cleared that. But it's the same look, you know?" Sally looked to Francesco's general direction. "Poor guy," she mused. The twins only nodded.

As Marlene drove away to talk to Filmore, Lightning appeared.

"Oh, I thought she'd never leave," he murmured. "She likes staying at Flo's."

"Hi Stickers," Sally said, kissing him lightly. "What's going on?"

"Francesco's pretty torn up about Marlene turning him down," he said. "But I think we should help him. He is a friend, after all," he added.

Sally nodded. "What do we have to do?"

"Later tonight there'll be a meeting. I've already asked the rest of the town except for you guys and Flo; I've left out Lizzie or she'll either forget or spoil the surprise, no offense," he added quickly when Sally glared at him. "Mia, Tia, I'd like you both to do a favor until the meeting's over."

"Sure Lightning," they said in unison.

"I want you to keep Marlene occupied. You know, ask her about the funny things that happened in her life; she likes that. So are jokes and such," he said.

"Okay," they said.

"I'll tell you a few minutes before the meeting starts. After the meeting I'll get back to you both, so long as I know where you are. Is that clear?" He didn't want to make it sound like he was ordering them around; he hoped he didn't.

"Crystal!" they said excitedly.

Later that evening, just about all the residents of the town gathered at Flo's. Lightning told the twins to pick up Marlene already and lead her away from Flo's.

"Can we hear something funny that happened in your life?" Mia asked.

"Pleeeease?" Tia pleaded.

"Oh, alright," Marlene conceded.

"Yay! Come on; let's go somewhere where you won't get interrupted," they said joyfully, and led her to Luigi's.

Meanwhile, Francesco and the rest of the residents, except for Lizzie and Red, gathered at Flo's for a meeting.

"Alright," Lightning started. "I've agreed to help Francesco on a problem that'll be quite hard to solve. He's my friend and I'd like to help him. If any one of you doesn't want to help him, you can go home to sleep and not hear me out."

Everyone looked at each other, and each one shook their heads.

"Alright, here's what we're going to do…."

_Marlena,_ Francesco prayed. _I promise, you will be mine._


	4. Chapter 4

_**Chapter Four**_

"Morning, Dragon," Marlene greeted her friend.

"Storm," Lightning agreed, nudging her playfully. "Wanna play a game?"

"Sure," she said quite excitedly. "What are the rules?"

"Just don't ask anyone for answers, and try to figure them out for yourself, alright?" he said.

"What are 'them'?" she asked.

"The 'them' are riddles. I give you one, and the answer lies in a place where that resident usually lives, and it goes on from there," he said. "This game was planned exceptionally for you."

"Really?" She was overjoyed. They'd remembered her birthday!

"Really," he confirmed. "Now, the last riddle leads you to a big surprise."

"I'm ready," she said.

"_I'm round like the moon but black like the sky,_" he started.

She was thoughtful for a moment. "Luigi's Casa Della Tires!" she exclaimed, and raced off to Luigi's.

"Hiya Luigi, Guido!" she greeted excitedly.

"Are you here for the riddle?" Luigi said, chuckling.

"M-hm!"

"_I'm a-wet like-a water, but as colorful as the rainbow,_" he said.

"Ramone's! Thanks Luigi!" With that, she raced away to Ramone's.

"Ramone?" she asked.

He chuckled. "_Slippery when wet,_" he started, "_but yummy when tasted._"

"Flo's!" she squeaked happily, and he watched her race away.

"Hiya Flo!" she said.

Flo only laughed. "_She's smart and beautiful, and has an uncanny love for something we usually don't like,_" she said.

Marlene's heart sank. She was stumped. She thought of it just about the whole day. That late afternoon, Lightning settled by her in her usual spot at Flo's: just out of the way but it was still at Flo's.

"You know, it still weirds me out that Sally designed the motel rooms like traffic cones," he said, smiling.

A light bulb lit up. "That's it!" She kissed him on his fender. "Thanks Lightning!" With that, she left for Sally's.

"Sally!" she squeaked.

"Well, that one took you a long time to figure out," Sally chuckled. "Anyway, _rusted or not, idiot or not, he's still the most helpful of us all._"

She pursed her lips, deep in thought. She gasped as a thought clicked. "Mater!"

She raced away to Mater's, but Mack told her he was out tractor tipping. By the time she reached him, it was about sunset.

"Heya Mater," she said.

"Oh, hiya Marlene," he greeted her. "Come on; I wanna show you something." He led her to a downtrodden path in a field. "I don't know what's in there, but I'm too afraid to check." His tires rattled lightly. "Could you come with me and check it out?"

She chuckled, patting him gently. "Sure." With that, she entered the field, knowing he was in tow. But when she checked behind her, he was gone.

"Mater?" she asked. "Mater, where are you?"

She could only drive forward to see if he'd planned a surprise ahead of her. She smiled at that fact, then saw a light hidden by the grass in front of her. She pounced out of the grass, hoping to catch him.

But what she caught was Francesco Bernoulli, smiling that smile with bright, hopeful eyes, not those that she saw yesterday that made the twins swoon.

But she snarled anyway. "_What_ _is this?_" she spat.

"It is a candlelight dinner for two," he replied calmly. "Look, I chose this spot for us because McQueen a-told me you like a-watching the sunset." He backed away to reveal a beautiful view of the sunset that he'd hidden behind himself. He wanted to surprise her with that. He smiled at her.

But she'd felt more frustrated than ever. "Do you think all this will grant my okay to be with you, to sleep with you, only to not see you there the next morning? Is that it?" she asked, hot tears in her eyes.

His face was suddenly afraid and sad. "No, no, it's not like that!"

"But it seems so!" she exclaimed. "Do you really think you can go through great lengths like that just to woo a girl you can leave the next day? Do you?" He opened his mouth to speak, but she cut him off. Tears rolled off her fenders as she spoke. She was breaking her own heart. But she had to. She wanted to avoid worse heartache. "You just don't understand, don't you? You think you can just barge in here, invade my privacy, and think that those open wheels of yours will ever make me fall like the twins did? You can't! I didn't ask for you to come here! Whatever you're offering, I don't want it! I don't want any of it!" She was sniffling already, her heart hurting like hell. "I don't love you!" she spat finally "I don't need you!"

He stared at her, trying to comprehend her words. Sorrow gripped his heart like a spiked vise: the more it tightened, the more it hurt his heart, and he didn't want this kind of hurt. He never wanted to experience such a thing again.

"Marlena, please," he pleaded, driving to her.

"No!" she said, glaring at him. "I don't want you! Just…just go away!" With that, she drove away.

Francesco sank to the grass, crying, frustrated. All he wanted to do was to be her lover, to tell her how much she meant to him, how much he loved her. But all that disappeared when she told him she didn't love him back. He blew out the candle, signaled for the waiter to clean up, and headed back to town.

Back at the motel, he could hear frustrated shouts of an argument. He could hear every word she was saying.

_How could you ever think that was a surprise?_

_Marlene, give him a chance, please! He hasn't even done anything to you!_

_I don't care! He's still the arrogant pile of metal I saw at Porto Corsa!_

_What made you think he was arrogant? He was just trying to make a good first impression!_

She was silent.

Lightning's voice was gentler, and Francesco moved closer. _He planned all this with my help, but most of it was just him. He wanted your birthday to be special, Marlene. He cares._

_But-but what if—?_

_He won't, Marlene. Don't be afraid. Like our head doctor said, don't live in the past._

_I…I can't. Old habits die hard._

_Then maybe it's time for them to die after so long._

They were silent for a while, except for her sniffling.

_Just try and give him a chance._

With that, Lightning's engine revved, trying to turn around. Francesco hurriedly left to enter his cone, then went to sleep with a heavy heart.


	5. Chapter 5

_Yes, I know this chapter is pretty short, but that's just the way it was written.*shrug* ^-^"_

_**Chapter Five**_

The next day, Francesco tells his trailer guy to get ready to leave. They depart after lunch. He says his good-byes to the residents, but as he approaches Marlene, he stops, and as he revs backwards, she turns around to face him with an alert expression. Seeing as that he caught her, she frowned and turned around quickly. He lowers his front, and slinks away to talk to Flo.

Marlene lowers her own front. Hurt and remorse gripped her heart tighter than the Queen's security at the World Grand Prix. She winced from the hurt. She didn't mean for this to happen. She thought it would be easier for them both. But it had only worsened the hurt, not eased it.

Francesco headed to Wheel Well to wish Guido good-by. But at Tailfin Pass, he felt himself being lifted and a piece of cloth pressed into his front. Instantly, he faded from consciousness.

He woke up about an hour later with steel cords tied on his rear wing. He tried breaking free of them, but they were too tightly wound.

"You won't be able to break free from that, Bernoulli," a voice sounded from the shadows, and a silver Porsche drove into the light.

Francesco snarled. "What is the meaning of this?"

"I am Jasper Duke," the Porsche introduced himself. "You've proven to be a great asset to me for the past few days. I think I'll keep you alive." With an evil laugh, Jasper slinked into the shadows once more.

"Guys, have you seen Francesco?" Lightning asked. "His trailer told me they should have left hours ago."

Everyone shook their heads.

"I don't think we should search for him tonight; it's too late to do so," Sherriff said.

Lightning nodded. "I just hope he's okay," he said solemnly.

Marlene looked down and prayed. _I hope he's okay._


	6. Chapter 6

_**Chapter Six**_

The next afternoon, Marlene finds a letter in her cone. She brings it out for everyone to see. Lightning volunteers to read it.

"_Dear Marlene,_

_By the time you have read this, I will have the token of your affections tied up and ready to die. I just hope you'll understand how it works._

_I will be waiting somewhere where cars are repaired or where cars rest near Wheel Well._

_With love,_

_Jasper._"

"Huh," Mia said. "'Token of your affections'?"

"But that person could only be Lightning," Tia said.

Marlene gasped as she put two and two together. "No!" With that, she raced away to Tailfin Pass towards Wheel Well. Furiously, she poured on speed, and in minutes, she'd reached the garage just west of Wheel Well. She opened the door and entered. The door slammed shut as she entered, leaving her in darkness.

She drove forward, knowing there was something there. "Jasper?" she called, and the lights went on.

"Good evening, my love," a familiar voice answered, and Jasper stepped into the light beside Francesco.

Something held her back as she drove forward. Magnet, held by someone.

Marlene snarled. "What do you want, Jasper?"

"I knew you would come once I mentioned him," he said with unveiled disgust.

Francesco's and Marlene's eyes widened in disbelief.

"I've been watching you," he clarified. "I've seen how you react to the revving of his engine, how you react when you see him giving attention to the twins, or the way you look at him when no one's looking."

"I do not do that!" she exclaimed, feeling hot.

Jasper chuckled and turned to Francesco. "Rev that engine for me, will you?"

Out of fear, Francesco obeyed, and the sound of open, unveiled, light, high-pitched revving echoed around the garage. Marlene was suddenly alert, starting slightly, like her body was engineered to react to that, and Jasper laughed.

Marlene glared and snarled. She'd been exposed.

"See? What'd I tell you?" Jasper drove forward. "Now listen to me: All you ever did was turn me down when we were in college. All I did, all the things I got for you—all of them rendered useless by 'someone special', or 'a very famous racecar'! Bah!"

He drove forward until their bumpers were only inches apart. "But I'm going to change that." He produced a gun from his front left tire. "I kill him if you don't promise to love me," he proposed.

She only laughed. "Like I would say yes," she said.

He looked bemused. He aimed upwards at the roof and shot. He backed up to face Francesco. "I'm serious."

She looked at Jasper, then at Francesco. She had no choice.

"I—"

Just then, the doors burst open, and the Sherriff, along with the rest of the gang, had come.

"Marlene! Francesco!" Lightning called as he saw them. Marlene looked at her friend and smiled.

Jasper noticed this and snarled. "Fine!" He looked at Marlene. "This ends now," he whispered, looked at Francesco, and poised to shoot.

"NO!" Marlene shrieked, kicked the magnet, and raced forward just as a gunshot sounded. But Francesco clearly heard the bullet tear her metal body and shoot inside of her.

Rage gripped the Italian racecar. "_Marlena!_" he cried out, furiously pulling against the steel cables, and his rear wing tore from him. He turned to hit Jasper on the side, knocking the Porsche away from the dark silver Audi, snarling, and as Jasper collided with the Radiator Springs residents, Francesco tended to Marlene. She was losing a lot of oil and he didn't know what to do.

The Italian formula pressed against her good side, trying to comfort her, telling himself she'll be alright, hot tears making his eyes glisten. She only shushed him, coughing.

"I'm sorry I…said all those…things to you," she said between coughs. "I guess I was too stubborn."

"Do not talk, (my love)," he whispered, nuzzling her fender gently. "You will be fine."

"Francesco…" she whispered, and slipped into the darkness.


	7. Chapter 7

_**Chapter Seven**_

At around three in the afternoon of the next day, Marlene woke in the hospital room, quite disoriented. She sees Francesco asleep by the wall in front of her. Her eyes soften as she remembers.

_He's cute when he's asleep,_ she thought, and he snored softly. She chuckled, and the pain sent her laugh into a moan.

The sound causes Francesco to wake, then turned to fuss over her.

"Francesco, I'm fine," she insisted. "I just hurt, that's all."

He looked at her gently, sadly. "I've a-missed you, Marlena."

She laughed again and winced. It wasn't only physical, but also emotional. A dull ache gripped her heart as she looked at the car she'd fallen in love with for the past few days. She'd grown to love the way his Italian accent seemed to make her body shiver, the way the revving of his engine caused her to shift her attention, the way his deep brown eyes made her melt as he gazed wondrously at her. She looked down, guilty for all the hurt she caused him.

"What's wrong, Marlena?" he asked softly.

She'd forgotten the way he said her name. Oh, how he said her name! It was like a song made only for her, composed for only his voice alone.

"I'm sorry for hurting you," she replied, guilty. "I suppose you're still angry at me because of that." She continued to look down.

The one thing that made her look up was the movement of him shaking his head. "It does not matter, my love."

She looked up into his deep brown eyes. The intensity of the love in his eyes almost pounded the breath out of her; if she hadn't been shot, she bet she would have felt the same pain in her heart. His warm, welcoming gaze filled her heat with love and pain, noticing with pangs of regret of her previous beliefs that he had only wanted her for her body and her stupid belief that he was the same arrogant racecar she'd seen in Lightning on TV before he came to Radiator Springs. Hot tears made her vision blur, and she blinked, making them fall over her fenders. She didn't want to lose sight of him. Never.

Feeling choked up in emotion, she opened her mouth to say something, but thought better of it. There wasn't any word in her large vocabulary that could describe what she wanted to say.

Francesco helped her with that. He drove forward with a soft smile on his lips, and closed the space between their bumpers. She sighed, closing her eyes.

Lightning was right; it felt so good. She felt herself fall away from the world around her, letting herself hold on only to him: to the slight, soft purring of his engine, to his amazing warmth, to the velvet touch of his lips. She never felt so happy and so free in the world.

All too soon, the kiss was over, and she felt lonely again. She sighed, looking at him.

And then, he smiled widely, and his eyes lit up in ecstasy. She was puzzled. What happened?

She hadn't noticed she'd mindlessly blurted out, "I love you. Francesco Bernoulli."

She only noticed when he replied with, "I love you too, Marlena Stevenson." With that, he pressed against her good side and kept nuzzling her gently.


	8. Chapter 8

_**Chapter Eight**_

It was nearly a week before Marlene was discharged from the hospital, and was cleared to go back to Radiator Springs. She and Francesco were welcomed back. Unfortunately, it wasn't only the residents of Radiator Springs, but the press as well!

"Francesco, is it true that you've come to stay in America forever?" someone asked.

"No, no; I just came here to visit my friend McQueen," Francesco replied smoothly.

"Francesco, some callers are asking right now: is this lovely Audi your new girlfriend? They claimed to have seen you arrive today together!" another reported asked.

Francesco looked at the residents and Lightning gave him a wink. Francesco made a mental note to clobber the American racecar later.

"Erm…" he looked at Marlene, who had just finished talking to another reporter. She'd heard the question alright, because she leaned against him and nudged his tire with hers, chiding him to do so. "Yes. Yes, she is."

The reporters became hysterical, and started to throw question after question. Marlene only laughed as Francesco tried answering the questions. When she decided he was tired, her amusement turned to irritation. "Alright, enough," she said assertively to the reporters. "Can't you see he's tired? Go bug someone else, like Lightning McQueen and Sally Carrera," she said, and they sped away. She led him to Flo's where they could get a drink.

Francesco sighed as Mia left. "I thought it would a-never stop," he breathed.

Marlene laughed and nuzzled him gently. "Don't worry; you're safe now. I'm sure they'll go away once evening hits," she comforted him.

He sighed, happy to just be with her at last, happy to be in the beautiful silence, with only her purring engine in his ears. He closed his eyes.

"OH, that's right, I forgot," Marlene said, and twisted her rear view mirror to look at his rear. "Your rear wing is still missing," she said.

He looked into his own mirror. "I can a-have it fixed later," he said, settling on his tires once more.

"But you looked so good with it! You should ask Mater to retrieve it," she said.

He looked up at her in disbelief. He couldn't believe his ears. She thought he looked good with it, and she was concerned! She really did love him then, and he fought to believe that.

"I already did, Marlene," Mater said, and true enough, the tow truck was bringing along the red, white and green rear wing. "At least it wuzn't scratched. I had a pretty good time undoing the knots on them steel cables," he added.

"Why don't we have it repaired by Ramone now?" she asked.

"Aw, I'm tired!" Francesco complained.

"Well, you don't know when Ramone will open tomorrow or when you'll be leaving!" she scolded him. "May as well do it now; I'm sure you won't feel a thing." With that, she told Ramone.

"Wow. I never knew she could be that fussy," Lightning said,

Francesco sighed. "At least she is."

Lightning looked at his friend in disbelief. Francesco's brown eyes were full of love instead of the same happy, insulting nut he'd seen in the World Grand Prix. The Italian formula followed his newfound girlfriend as she called for him.

About two hours later, he looked as good as new. His rear wing was in place, and he had a custom buffing of paint, as per Marlene's request. They both then settled on the spot where Francesco had planned to have a candlelight dinner with her last week, and they watched the sun set.

Just as twilight hit, she smiled. "Beautiful, isn't it?"

He looked at her. "Not as beautiful as you."

"Oh, stop," she said, nudging him gently, but inside, she wanted him to go on.

"I really love you, Marlena," he blurted out, and she chuckled.

"I love you too, Francesco." And with that, she sealed the truth with a kiss.

_OLD NOTE: Did you guys know that the whole story was finished in roughly under five hours? xD I slaved one whole morning just to finish this that way because you don't know, you know, when the feeling that you're on a roll will fade. *shrugs* If you had fun reading, if you didn't, and if you were on a yes-and-no side, please review! I want to hear your thoughts about the chapters. :3 I think I'll make a sequel to this one…I'm so on a roll writing about Marlene and Francesco together! 8D_


	9. Chapter 9

_**Chapter Nine**_

It was uncanny that a glamorous Italian formula and a simple Audi R8 would have a relationship. Lightning still couldn't believe it, but then again, looking back, he too had fallen for the lovely Audi. He chuckled as she continued to fuss over him just as he did for himself. Lightning guessed two cars concerned for one in the same was too big for him. He gave out a retort, and she backed away. She thought he'd wanted a little alone time with himself. She drove over to Flo's and settled in her usual spot.

"Hi Mia, Tia," she greeted the twins.

"So, how's life?" they asked.

Marlene looked at them with suspicious eyes.

"What? We're concerned!" Mia said defensively.

Francesco quietly settled by Lightning a space next to the girls and both male cars listened.

Marlene shrugged. "Nice, I guess."

"What's he like?" Mia asked.

"Oh, he's the same as any other car I've met that's fallen for me: willing to do stuff, asking me what I want (but then again, he's rich but what'll I do with them?), wondering what surprise I'd like next." She shrugged. "But he's special in a way I can't understand though…" she smiled evilly as she continued, "…must be those open wheels." The twins squeaked at her, and she laughed. "Seriously," she said, and her eyes took on a moony state. "But I know it's not his open wheels."

"But that's his greatest feature!" Mia squeaked at her in disbelief.

Marlene shook her head. "There's more to that Italian formula than just open wheels, great speed, and a deliriously amazing engine," she said softly.

Marlene was quite amused to have the two sisters squeak in delight; she liked making them happy with their talks. She laughed.

"Seriously?" Tia asked. "That's what you think?"

"There's a whole lot more to what I think, but some cars never learn, do they?" She raised her voice and looked at Lightning, who instantly looked away and whistled innocently. Beside him was her glorious boyfriend.

"I thought you wanted some time with yourself?" she asked good-naturedly.

He shrugged. "I suppose I got-a tired of myself," he offered.

"I also hope you weren't eavesdropping," she scolded lightly.

"Sorry; I caught every word," he smiled, shrugging. He wiggled his eyes at the twins, revving his engine, and the two squeaked again, turning to statues.

"You really shouldn't do that to them," Marlene scolded lightly.

He stared down at her, knowing she was hiding something.

"Oh, alright, I like telling them about you and watch them squeak," she said. "But it benefits them too, you know. Sally really hasn't like them very much after the incident, and doesn't say anything about Lightning's love life."

The two cars laughed at their friend, and Francesco hit Lightning's fender lightly with his tire.

"What?" Lightning said a little too hard, and the two laughed.

"I love this town," Marlene sighed, sipping on her oil.

"You have to tell us more!" Mia and Tia squeaked in unison.

Marlene looked at Francesco then at the twins. "Later, when he decides not to listen."

"Oh, I like listening to you talk about me," Francesco chided, smiling at her with the smile he usually wears when trying to woo other girls.

Marlene rolled her eyes. "That won't work on me, Bernoulli," she said, trying to copy him.

But Francesco had other things up his sleeve (or tire?), and revved his engine the way he knew she liked.

Her expression melted to a loving smile, and she sighed.

"Gotcha," Mia whispered in her ear, and she playfully pushed the Miata away, faking anger as the rest of the cars laughed.

She sighed at Francesco. "Don't corner me like that," she said. As Lightning left to meet Sally, Marlene backed away to settle beside the red, white and green racecar. He sighed and settled close against her.

"So, how do you think we'll be able to settle in Italy?" she asked him.

His eyes widened worriedly. He hadn't thought about Italy.

She laughed. "Why don't we just see what happens, you know?" She looked away but leaned against him.

He smiled, nuzzling her gently. She sighed, closing her eyes.

She let her senses drift from the world around her, letting Francesco's presence envelop her. She breathed in the sweet scent of his exhaust, felt the warmth from his engine, sensed the bliss emanating from his sigh. She opened her eyes to find him smiling at her, and she knew, deep in her heart, that she was home. Finally home.

_Yes, there is a follow-up chapter, although it would be very short(I think) but I'll do it the next time so I can make up for the deadline I need to meet for the second outline. ^-^_


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